The Surface tablet is a flagship Microsoft product — its first foray into the tablet market as a hardware manufacturer. It’s almost as locked-down as the iPad – the only applications you can install and run being those that come from the Windows Store — yet you can also plug in a USB drive and have a full file manager at your disposal. Is the quirky Windows 8 interface truly better on a tablet? Are the touch gestures intuitive? Is there actually a desktop mode? All these questions and more will be answered; read on for the full MakeUseOf review and giveaway of the Microsoft Surface.

We purchased this 32GB Microsoft Surface with a black touch cover for $599 in order to prepare this review. And now, we’re giving it away to one lucky reader!

I’m going to refer to the user interface as Metro throughout this review because that’s what we’re all familiar with; I believe it’s actually called Modern UI at this point, but then you wouldn’t know what I’m talking about.

Introduction: Making use of the Microsoft Surface tablet

This is the first Surface branded product to be launched, to be followed later by Surface Pro. This (RT) model runs on an ARM based processor, and as such is incompatible with all existing Windows software; it will only run applications from the Windows 8 store, so in that respect it’s more similar to an iPad than anything else. The Pro model, which will be be launched later is a full Windows 8 tablet device running on x86 hardware.

In terms of competition, there are no other Windows RT devices on the market currently. At this size and price range, the iPad is the leading competitor. The 32GB Microsoft Surface tablet is $499; that’s $100 cheaper than a 32GB iPad. Purchased with the touch cover, the package price is $599, so this certainly isn’t a budget device. It also goes up against the newly released Google Nexus 10, a 10″ $499 (32GB version) Android tablet. I was impressed by the Nexus 7Google Nexus 7 (16GB) Android Tablet Review and GiveawayGoogle Nexus 7 (16GB) Android Tablet Review and GiveawayWe purchased a 16GB Nexus 7 for $249 which I've been reviewing for a week or so now, and I've really grown to love the little thing. We'll be giving it away at the end...Read More, so it’s safe to assume the Nexus 10 is also a solid device.

Initial Impressions

The packaging is sleek and alluring to the modern product it hides; the box features the same bezel as the device itself, a strong diagonal cut.

Included in the package is the keyboard, the device itself, a charging cable and adaptor – this model is shipped with a UK plug. The instruction manual is suitably sparse; there really is no need to read it.

Hardware and Specs

The Surface is an industrial design in gunmetal matt black. It feels incredibly solid – even the kickstand. At 0.68kg it’s actually not much heavier than the new iPad’s 0.66kg. The distinctively retro shape of the case is a sharp and welcome departure from an increasingly curved design world dominated by Apple. The Surface can certainly stand proud and unique amongst it’s fellow tablets, at least in terms of design.

The keyboard cover acts in much the same way as Apple’s smart cover; it snaps into place very easily with a satisfying clank that I imagine a Transformer must feel when it changes into something, while the magnet will wake and sleep the device automatically upon closing and opening. Since it’s a keyboard, it flips open from the top to the bottom – counter intuitive to a paper notepad, laptop, or iPad’s Smart Cover.

Sadly, the standard touch sensitive keyboard is horrendous. Because it’s a touch sensitive substrate with a layer of fabric over it, you can almost feel the slight gap between the two layers. Pressing down on one key results in the other side of the keyboard shifting upwards slightly, disconcertingly. It simply doesn’t feel good to type on – I found myself using the keyboard cover as just a cover; typing was faster and felt better with the on-screen keyboard. Though I don’t have one to test, I suspect the bulkier physical keyboard is much better.

The IPS screen is bright but clearly pixellated at times; you’ll only notice this if you have a more recent Android device or a Retina iPhone/iPad. The screen’s biggest issue for me is the size – it’s nearly twice as wide as it is tall (roughly 23cm x 13cm visible) with an aspect ratio of 16:9. While this feels great in landscape mode, it’s positively monstrous in portrait. Obviously this has great benefits when watching widescreen format movies, but if you’re more of a eBook reader then the odd size may take getting used to.

The kickstand has been touted as an outstanding feature of the Surface, but in reality it’s a mixed blessing. On the one hand, having a stand built-into the device is certainly convenient; it’s not a gimmicky plastic one either, but a solid metal part of the case that doesn’t feel like it’ll break easily.

On the other, it has a single fixed position, and there’s only one notch you can pull it out from on the let hand side. The fact that it’s solid metal means it can also scratch some tables.

The front camera is better than I expected – great quality for Skype calls (is there any other reason to use a front camera?)

Sadly, the rear camera is pathetic; I don’t know if this was due terrible low light performance (good luck getting a sunny day in England), but it was obviously grainy. The focus is also automatic (and not in a good, intelligent kind of way) – the only control you have is the shutter button. Given how good the camera is on an iPad, it’s frustrating that they didn’t include something better here.

Finally, the speaker is rather quiet. For comparison, I’ve filmed Netflix running on both the iPad and the RT – you can clearly hear the difference. This was done in complete silence; when there was a small amount of background noise, the Surface playback became completely inaudible.

Connectivity and Storage

The model we’re giving away comes with 32GB of storage (reported at 26GB in real terms), though only 14GB of that is useable. A 64GB version is also available. There’s also a MicroSD port, though you’d be forgiven for not being able to find it (hidden under the kickstand), so the lack of space on the internal drive shouldn’t be a huge problem – though it is odd that a cut-down version of Windows and Office would together take up that much space.

Rejoice, for the Surface has a USB port – this is what you always wanted in a tablet, right? If you have a video or presentation you need to open, you can just plug it in, copy it across and do all that nitty gritty file management that Windows users so enjoy. If you’re on the go a lot, this will be invaluable to you; as someone who mainly uses a tablet at home with a home network, the prospect isn’t quite as tantalising for me.

There is no 3G or LTE capabilties, though it’s feasible that a 3G dongle could made specifically for the Surface in future.

Also on the topic of connectivity; if you have an Xbox 360, the Surface has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Firstly, you can play your own media directly to a TV, via an Xbox 360. This doesn’t work with Netflix protected content (nor would you want it to, given that there is a Netflix 360 app anyway) — but I was able to pop in a USB key with a few home movies on, and play them simply and easily to the Xbox. However, given that the Surface can’t handle .mkv files, it seems to be somewhat limited. Hopefully some apps capable of transcoding media like Plex, or apps that are able to play any media format like VLC will appear in the Windows Store soon, but for now its use is limited in that regard.

Secondly, the Surface can act as a SmartGlass controller; in supported games (Dance Central 3, Forza Horizon, Halo 4) and apps (Netflix, HBO Go, ESPN and a few others), the tablet displays additonal information or functionality. In Dance Central 3’s party mode for example, the Surface can choose which songs to add to the playlist while people are still dancing, preventing the downtime you usually get between playing.

You can also use the Surface to launch games, apps, and videos from the dashboard. Note that the Smart Glass functionality is also available on all Windows 8 devices (desktop and laptops), iPhone, iPad and Android – so that alone isn’t a particular compelling reason to choose the Surface.

The Desktop

For those who are still adamant that the Surface RT doesn’t even come with a desktop mode – it does. It’s very much the desktop as you and I know it; you have the file explorer, and a desktop version of IE, and some apps pinned to the taskbar. However, that’s where the similarities end — you cannot install desktop applications. The included preview build of Office for RT runs on the desktop though.

If this is confusing you, then I completely understand. Frankly, the inclusion of a desktop mode on the Surface running Windows RT seems insane: why not just make a competant file manager app for Metro and be done with the desktop completely? Since Office has a fullscreen mode, presumably it doesn’t actually need the desktop either, and could equally be Metro only? Why tease people with an otherwise non-functional desktop? Why disjoint the Metro experience?

Apps

Here’s a brief rundown of my experience with some of the core apps you’ll find on the Surface.

Internet Explorer: I hope you like Internet Explorer because there isn’t an alternative. You can however run either in Metro mode, which I found frustrating when trying to switch between tabs, or in desktop mode, as a traditional browser.

Mail App: Oh dear, where do I start? Both of my Gmail accounts aren’t syncing right; I’ll read them on the Surface only to find they’re still showing as unread on my desktop and mobiles. This isn’t something I’ve had a problem with between Apple and Android. Second, the inbox isn’t unified; if you’re dealing with 5 or 6 email accounts, it can get ridiculous. You can work around it by adding them all to single Gmail account, but that’s not a real solution and you shouldn’t have to. Thirdly, I’m having a really hard time adjusting to way it displays emails and switches between threads; as soon I click a thread, it will expand in place, shifting the rest of the email list and resulting in a disorienting experience; Gmail and Apple Mail both display threads within the email view, not the list view. Either way, this is not a nice way to browse email, and I won’t be using it.

People: The main People app has been automatically populated with names and emails I’ve predominantly never heard of, yet attempting to reply to an email and typing in the most commonly emailed contact (my boss) resulting in no suggested recipients; I clicked the “add people” button to find him manually, but the number of contacts had mysteriously dropped to a sum total of 10, 8 of which I had never heard of. Not a great start. I noticed there’s a section for “social updates” in the people app, so I tried adding my Facebook account. I authenticated, and it said it was successful, and then nothing. Tried again. This time it said I would need to add my account via the Settings panel; so I pull across the charms and try again. Without authenticating, this time it said “you may need to wait a few minutes while we set things up”. I wait half hour, play with some other apps; nothing.

By now, I’m sick of notifications and screens like the one below — it’s both patronising, depressing, unhelpful, and arty all at the same time. If you’re doing something, let the user know the progress, or notify them – just, do something, ok?

Only after restarting does it start to show me anything.

Office: This is a killer feature, according to some pundits. I loaded up Word and was instantly kicked to a desktop; it’s disorienting, and I was under the impression there was an Office version for Metro, but clearly this isn’t it. The bugs began as soon as I attempted to open a template and edit it, which you can see on the video below. This is technically only a preview release, but if this is a big selling point, perhaps it would have been better to have it fully working before the release of the tablet.

Other than a few initial bugs, Office apps seemed to work as expected. I’m not a heavy Office user though so I didn’t test extensively. If you’ve had a chance to play with Office 2013 and you really like it, then I expect you’ll easily forgive these early bugs and really like a Surface tablet.

Gestures

The gesture system is functional after getting used to it, but it’s far from intuitive. If you’ve used the desktop version of Windows 8 — like I have been — you’ll be used to a few hot corners by now, such as the bottom left for a start menu, top left for task switching; these still work with the trackpad on the Surface. If you’re touching the screen, you might instinctively try to drag from a corner, into a corner, or just hover over a corner; this does nothing. Task switching by touch alone is done by pulling in from the left side to reveal the last used app, then pushing back again to morph it into the task list. It’s a silly gesture that I couldn’t find documented anywhere. I’m not an idiot, but this made absoutely zero sense and was just inconsistent with what you can do with a mouse or trackpad. I thoroughly recommend downloading our recently published cheat sheet to help you with this.

It may take you a while to figure out how to uninstall apps from your home screen too; you need to touch them, then pull a little down, but not so much as to actually move the tile, just enough so that a checkmark will appear. Again, this took me a good 30 minutes to try and figure out.

Though the touch display is responsive, I still find a week later that I’m getting unwanted touch events, or performing a gesture just a little further than I wanted to, resulting in the wrong action completely.

Battery Life

Microsoft claims 8 hours of video playback under optimal conditions; though in reality you probably won’t bother turning off Bluetooth and Wifi, so expect around 6 hours of heavy usage. Standby is good though, so light users should be alright with a charge once every few days. With a Magsafe-style charging adaptor, I found snapping the power cord on to recharge easy, unlike the fiddly mini-USB charger that my phone has. Par for the course with the battery, then.

Should you buy the Microsoft Surface tablet?

I began my Windows 8 experience on a 24″ widescreen desktop, thinking that it had clearly been designed for a tablet. Having now played with the Surface, I’m not convinced it’s been designed for that either. Though the hardware is beautiful (and perhaps quirky in its choice of screen size and fixed kickstand) – the software is best described as pre-release alpha. When the Surface is supposed be a flagship device that shows off Windows 8 to its best, I’m simply disappointed.

I honestly can’t begin to list all the bugs I found while basic testing the Surface; very little worked correctly, or if it did, the experience was terribly designed and it must have felt like a bug. Blank screens with no feedback whatsoever, no guidance on progress or no indication that an error had even occurred – were common. It was a case of trial and error a lot of the time; frantic tapping on random things to see if it would fix it; restarting the device; switching back and forth through apps, and accidentally launching things I didn’t mean to. I do this kind of thing for a living; imagine how much frustration grandma would feel.

I admire what Microsoft is doing; truly I do. It’s a valiant stand, taking the stage next to Apple with a bold new direction, proclaiming, “We can do hardware, and the software, all in one single ecosystem, just like you can! We can sell apps, we can sell videos, and we can do music!” — it’s brave, but it just isn’t there yet. I’ve actually started to like — well perhaps, tolerate — Metro on my desktop computer. As a media center, it does work nicely, and when Plex, VLC or XBMC release a Metro app, it’ll be perfect. I’m also confident that the Surface Pro will address a lot of the issues found in this device.

Microsoft has proved to us that they can make an attractive piece of kit; but like most first generation products, this one is plagued by an untested interface, quirks, bugs and lack of compelling software. These are of course, all things that Microsoft can and will fix in time. For now though, this tablet isn’t ready to tackle the big boys — despite it’s big boy pricing.

Our verdict of the Microsoft Surface Tablet:Don’t buy it – not yet.310

How do I win the Microsoft Surface tablet?

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Connie Reagan

January 16, 2017 at 8:57 am

I wish I had seen this sooner. I am creating a video game for cildren and there families who have been diagnosed with different forms of cancer. Each simulation in the game will be scenario based. I am also writing children books and looking for a surface pro to do the illustrations and writing of books. Am looking for a surface studio for game development. This will be non profit as a little girl and her family left inprints on my heart I want to help them raise money for the charity a 12yr old unselfishly created. I also want education empowerment and encouragement for these families to know there not alone. Hopefully through all of this if just one child or family is made better then it will all be worth it. Ive never done anything like this so am learning as I proceed with both porocesses and put it in Gods hands.

As long as the form and the entry submission button are visible, the giveaway is still going on. Once a winner is selected, we'll announce it on this post as well as on our social networks. So please be patient, and there's absolutely no need to ask who the winner is.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, so did the guy who made this review. They made this review happened, be glad about it and move on, and as a consolation, they even want a lucky winner to have this product. The surface is in its early release, maybe a few months early but updates are coming for the bugs and fixes. Give it time, it will grown in you. Great review by the way and thanks for the heads up. Thanks to this giveaway. Anything that is given free is the best gift of all. Good luck to all. :D

Loved the review and I think I agree with lanardo and James Bruce I think it would be great to win for free BUT for the RRP would you buy it or something else?? I liked the fact that James had used Windows 8 on his pc prior to the surface review

I'd love to have this. I'm disabled and having access to a smaller computer/tablet would make my life much easier. Sitting up at the computer desk causes my feet and lower legs to swell. I could use this while sitting in my recliner or in my bed with my feet elevated. Sure it's not perfect, but no computer is.

I guess if this is the direction Microsoft is heading the we either become used to it or become as antiquated as DOS 1.x
Windows 8 seems to me to be little more than the HP touch interface included on their Window 7 HP TouchSmart systems.

Thank you for giving everyone the opportunity to win. I never win anything, but I entered because I am enjoying spending time on your site. I am going to begin reading some of the guides now. I can't wait. Good Luck to all on the giveaway!

There seem ti be more pros than cons to the Surface tablet but it seems like some thing that would be fun to try. I hope they improve on the camera, sound, actual memory, ergonomics and what ever else they messed up this time to deliver a solid product.

I'm not sure what Apple is working on next but the iPad Mini was a bit of a disappointment in terms of innovation (a smaller iPad -- meh). If Microsoft is smart they'll be working on something that will let them stand apart from Apple.

Apple is not the first to create a tablet but so far they've done it best.

Obviously needs some fine tuning before I would consider buying one but would love to win so I could try doing geeky stuff to it just to see what happens. Being a computer and network and communications technician I can think of all kinds of tweeks I'd like to try!

You can use Windows 8 on your desktop. When the Metro screen appears, just move your mouse to either the top right corner, or the bottom left of the screen, and then you will see to click for the classic desktop. I've had it work with either the top right or the bottom left.

But, be advised that there are a lot of things you are used to in Windows 7 that are not in the Classic desktop layout on Windows 8. I would just keep running Windows 7 on your desktop. I've been Beta testing Windows since Win95, and I'm not going to change my desktop to Windows 8. I'm running Windows 8 (Been doing it for over a year now), and I will only use it on tablets and touch screens.

I think I will wait on this. It looks awesome but I really appreciate the review. I have shared it with several folks. It seems to follow the usual pattern with Microsoft - wait until the second go-round when they start working out the bugs. I hope they get it right. The concept is gorgeous. I just don't understand the marketing concept that rushes out and sells a defective product which just angers people.

Just like i thought. Anyway i'm entering the competition with hope to be able to test it myself. I also recomend the Nielsen's review about the UI/UX issues that are afecting window 8. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/windows-8.html

It seems like a good alternative to the iPad from what I tried and read. The only problem is the constant ads on TV. Everyday it's on all the time, I'll be lucky if I don't see it at least 3 times a day.

Nice Giveaway like others would love this as well :D been holding off on buying a iPad because i basically just only Use Microsoft Product and this is the only thing i am missing xD thanks for the chance and i would totally Make use of this :)

Wow, that review is a joke - "The Windows RT experience, in many senses, is clearly ahead of what many competitors offer in the tablet space today. Multitasking, task switching and the ability to have multiple applications active on the screen at once are all big advantages that Microsoft enjoys. For productivity workloads, Surface is without equal in the tablet space."

Task switching by touch gesture is ridiculous, as is trying to figure out which icon represents which app by visual clues alone. And multiple applications on screen at the same time? You mean *pinned to 25% of the screen space* - no, sorry, that's not productive by ANY judgement. Couldn't read the rest of the review, this guy obviously wrote it without actually using the device.

Sorry but your reply and this review are the real joke. I'm not going to deny that Windows RT needs some work. Apps don't always load as fast as I'd like them too and some of the pre-installed apps aren't entirely bug free.

However, to claim that task switching by gestures is ridiculous, is in itself quite ridiculous. A thinly disguised attempt at parading The Apple Way as the Only Way. Yes, if you've been double-tapping home buttons for the last three years, it might take you all of 10 minutes to get used to the Windows 8 way, but then, and i speak from experience, it is just as fast and intuitive as on your ipad (if not faster).

Furthermore, you simply cannot claim that the snapped state for apps is useless by any judgement. Apparently you have never chatted with someone while browsing the web on a tablet, but I have, and I would pick the Surface over the ipad any day just for that. As the windows store grows, I have no doubt we'll see many more clever, and yes, even productive ways of using snapped state.

Then this review. If you can claim that you've used windows 8 on your desktop and it still takes you 30 minutes to figure out how to select and uninstall an app on a windows 8 tablet, that looks bad on you, not on windows 8. That and the fact that the OP made no attempt to even explore the unique selling points of windows RT (charms, compatibility with thousands of devices that you can actually connect to with USB out of the box, micro SD slot for expanded storage, etc. etc.), and it isn't a stretch to classify this review as mindlessly copy&pasted iSheep drivel.

Oh Rogier; if you'd care to read around instead of resorting to name calling, you might learn that I did a glowing review of the Nexus 7 and loved it, and I use an Android phone exclusively now. Not once did I say the iPad has better multitasking, because it doesn't. Frankly, it doesn't multitask; only Android has managed to do that one properly. I'm glad you've found a single use case for running a video alongside something (or did you mean just text chat?). Either way, I look forward to these productive uses that app developers come up. Here's one - a calculator! Genius! That's worth $600 right there!

You know WHY it took 30 minutes to figure out how to uninstall an app? Because right clicking on a desktop is both easy, and obvious. Holding over something whilst making a small flicking down gesture to select it is not. Have you even used a Windows 8 tablet or are you basing your dismissive judgement of my review on the desktop alone? Because again, I use the desktop version of Windows 8, I am far more satisfied with it there than this device.

I mentioned the expandable storage (*which is essential, since half the 32gb drive is taken up by the OS alone). I should have said more on compatible devices; I wasn't aware of those at the time. Then again, its a portable tablet device, not a desktop; and it runs on Wifi - what device would I want to use? A 360 controller to play all those awesome Windows 8 metro games? An Apple trackpad instead of the supplied snap-on one? A USB printer - do they still exist? And I do this from the sofa, presumably - or this a hardcore device for business users who need to plug and play printers? I'm sure they'll really appreciate the productivity killing live tiles...

Regardless, I hope you've entered, and good luck - I think you'll get more use out of this device more than most people.

Rogier

November 22, 2012 at 9:31 am

I apologize for the name calling, I agree it is inappropriate, but as a Surface owner it is sometimes hard to restrain yourself after reading so many reviews by people who have obviously played with the device for only a few hours before writing their review.

I agree that swiping down to "right click" a tile is not necessarily an obvious gesture, but then, neither is swiping to make a big red delete button appear in a list of items. Or at least it wasn't until the iPhone conquered the market and it became common knowledge. Actually I think the same held true for the mouse when it was introduced along with the graphical user interface.

And that is exactly my issue with this review, and so many others. They are written by people who have spent many years becoming comfortable with a set of gestures and expected behaviors that were neither intuitive nor obvious until they became the standard because there was no competition.
If you've really tried the Surface, you must surely agree that "selecting" a tile, once you know the gesture (you don't have to hold down first, you can just swipe down over a tile), really isn't a mind-blowingly cumbersome procedure. It's just not the same as the holding down that you're used to for contextual options, but is that really something to mention as a negative?

A fair point of criticism, for example, would have been the lack of a notification center, which is something that Microsoft really *should* add, and which has nothing to do with the subjective notions of perceiving certain gestures as unintuitive, but which is simply a lack of functionality.

My point is, chatting and browsing simultaneously may not be the ultimate reason d'être for the "snapped state", even if I personally find it handy, but since it is completely new functionality that I'm sure many brilliant minds will find great uses for in the future, claiming it is ridiculous by any judgement is just short-sighted. If you remember, when the iPad was originally unveiled by Apple there were many sounds of disappointment and frustration. It was just a "bigger phone that doesn't make phonecalls", why would anyone need it? Three years later and we have to conclude that tablets are here to stay. Let's hope the Surface is also here to stay, despite the many attempts to bash it for the wrong reasons.

It's priced the same as an iPad, so it deserves to be compared as the closest competitor. If it wanted to be compared to a Nexus 7, then it should have been priced accordingly. Why should a consumer spend that much money on a buggy new toy when they could have a developed and app-laden iPad? For a Metro-only restricted device, the pricing is it's biggest downfall. Hit that number for a pro model and the situation would be completely reversed; why buy an iPad when you can get a full featured touchscreen tablet AND full windows desktop. But we both know, it wont be. It'll be more like $1000 for a pro model, making a macbook air the closest competitor ...

I enjoyed the review of the Surface RT Tablet. Even though it sounds like you received a Beta version tablet with all the bugs you encountered, it seems like there is promise for the Surface. Hopefully the PRO version will be much better.

Still unable to exchange my points for an entry even though I am logged on. Tried entering the giveaway from multiple browsers, all not working. I hope you can fix the problem soon. On another note, my reward points are not increasing even though I comment, answer questions, and share. :-(

Yang, you've got 30 points for commenting in the last week, which is correct as you made 6 comments. No share actions have been registered in the past week. What did you share, and can you send me a link to verify it? Are you certain you used the buttons indicated on the page?

When you say you're unable to enter, what exactly do you mean? Does the button not work, or does it show "you must be logged in", or what?

Thank you for trying to help me. I was not aware that comments are only worth 5 points now, they were worth 10. My point total only increased when I answered other people's questions on MakeUseOf's Ask.

I am unable to enter because the "you must be logged in" message is ever present. Any idea what might be causing this? I will try from another computer tomorrow.

hi, I'm from Malaysia. I'm newbies in small business and just started it. With this tablet in your Giveaway, i knew it will help me to always keep in touch with my business, friend, client and internet.

With Windows 8 experience on a 24? widescreen desktop, thinking that it had clearly been designed for me and my business.

A lot of people seem to criticize this review. I've saw a local tech store showing off a Samsung windows 8 rt tablet and attempted to play around with it. The scary thing is my impression in 5 mins is so similar to this review. I also had similar views from attempting to trying out windows 8 on desktop, and overal supporter of windows 8.it definitely feels better on a desktop then a touch device.

Just to clarify - this wont run ANY of your existing windows apps. You'll need to wait for Surface Pro for that. This wouldn't be a good replacement for an XP PRO desktop or laptop. But good luck anyway!

Apparently, a lot of the bugs have already been fixed since publishing this, but I have my doubts. A lot of the "bugs" I found weren't coding errors - more just badly designed interface that felt like a bug. But yes, hopefully Mcirosoft will address those in time too.

Thanks Logan, there are definitely some words missing. However, half of those you've pasted are not mistakes; they are quite grammatically correct and I stand by them as my own personal style. The other half my editor should totally have caught though - I better have words with him.

Ronald Raquier

November 17, 2012 at 6:06 pm

Excellent review. I'd love to win one. But purchase is in the dsitant future so as to be aware of all the fixes which are needed.

What I like is the details of the information given by James Bruce. So one is not blind about the pros and cons of the Surface tablet. We know that so far Microsoft systems always is full of bugs so is nothing new about the cons. Anyway is a nice giveaway. Congrats to the winer and good lock with the bogs. Hope the new version improve and fix all those bugs, but that is just a dream. Thanks James for the info. Nice presentation and well expalain. Like the details

Thanks for having this as a giveaway.
Waiting to try my hands on this new flag-shipped Windows 8 tablet.
Though the review by James about the device is not so welcoming, i hope it won't be that disappointing. :)

Please enter me as your choice for recipient of the available TABLET.
I need one very much to satisfy my wife's desire for a device of her own, for
internet use such as:
EMAIL, FACEBOOK, and etc, etc, etc.
I will have to be her 'TRAINER' and teacher.on
everything except email, because
she has been, for years, using a clunky old email system: WEBTV.
Thank you,
Wil Jones

I still think despite a persons review, it is down to personal preference. I got an iPad because I was told it was the way to go... turns out I use it to read books and check my email. Something a Kindle Fire could have done for a lot less without hassle of installing iTunes and something my Android phone can do as well.
The RT version really isn't made for power users or those wanting total control over their operating system, that's what the Pro version is for. The specs and capabilities of both versions have been around for quite sometime now and really is no surprise in terms of what the current RT model can do. Apps may not be as big as Apple/Android, but apps are appearing in number on a daily basis.
I currently run a triple boot system and Windows 8 Pro is one of my choices. Personally, I like it. Admitted it gets some getting used to but once your there it really is a smooth ride. As for bugs, even iOS and Android has continuous updates so will (and does) the Surface. That's the nature of app based operating systems so I would hardly blame the hardware but rather the developers.
All in all it has a market for those that can use it, if you cannot then don't buy it. As for those that bought it then gave it away days later, I'm happy to see you have money to waste and remind them of the saying "look before you leap". By the way, I gave my iPad away and finally got a Kindle. As for Surface, I will be waiting for the Pro version as I already know it will be more suited to my needs long before I read this review.

I run windows 8 on my mediacenter PC, and I'm quite happy with - I don't have anything against Windows 8 as a whole - but this device is horrendous. It's not made for *anyone*, let alone power users. As you say though, best to wait for the Pro Surface to really evaluate the whole thing. As it is, sales of the Surface RT have been pretty terrible, and though my review is probably one of the harshest, the general tone has been quite negative from everyone so I don't think I'm wrong here. The question now is just "is the Pro model going to be just as bad?"

Luv Windows 8 !
It has amazing features and comes with some new feature from Windows 7 , such as it has a new Windows Task manager , it gives Microsoft Security Essentials and etc ….
I read the reviews of Windows 8 …….
I hope I win !

I had a chance to test run one of these for our Digital Media department, it could be a great machine...too bad that it is so new and that the market is bare bones. You can't even run any add-ons for IE. None. I'd give it a few months (say 6-8) before considering getting one of these.

Not a fan of Surface yet, but have heard rumors that it's the closest thing that can give ipad a run for its money. So i'm betting on it. Would love to get my hands on it soon, maybe real soon :). Thanks for a fantastic giveaway again.

This would be an excellent Xmas gift for myself. Had a horrible year and how I need something to cheer me up. Again makeuseof.com has given us all another chance to win something nice as they always do. I wish all of you good luck in winning. As much as I would like this we are all hoping to win but to wish luck to others is always a good thing no matter what the competition is about. All of you, have a wonderful Christmas or Holiday whichever one that you celebrate as its fast approaching us all. Hugs Tylicia

I've heard alot about this item via ads,etc.While I'vetried acouple different brands of tablets,I'm not overly impressed with them compared to my laptop(I have an HP Presario g series).Wouldnt mind winning it mainly to see what Win-8 is all about(I'm not real impressed by that either from what I've heard and read). I get a new PC every year,and am not looking forward to being saddled with Win-8.(I only buy HP or Compaq machines).

Wow. Loved the review because you look at this item and think "hey, this is really cool!" and then after buying it you would find out how impractical it would be for your needs. So great to hear someone's opinion like this before you spend your money in error! I guess it's similar to a new model car.. Better wait until the next year comes out so the bugs are all worked out. Thanks for the info, it's appreciated.

I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't enjoy having one of these even if it was given to me. It seems like it is more trouble than it is worth; however, I had to drop in to announce that I thorougly enjoyed the read. You write very well, James. ^5!

Well just like the original iPad when first released, it didn't have a good iPad app support base, and the features were subpar. The only thing it had going for it was a plethora of an iOS user base from iphone and ipod. I think it will grow into it's own in time, but I'm more interested in the "pro" x86 version. I like Windows 8, it is still a little unstable here and there, but installing the classic shell start menu gives you the best of both worlds of desktop and "metro".

Windows 8 has potential as long as they can get the software base to follow. Just like anything else, if the software doesn't keep up with the hardware, it won't sell.

I have an ipad 2, with a VM of Windows 8 running on my server with Splashtop Win8 app on my ipad, and the connector installed on the VM....$50 windows 8 tablet! $10 for the app, and $40 for the Win8 license.

I had it, it’s not worth it. Only developers “should” buy them. It’s Windows RT, ARM based, nothing of the old stuff runs on it, so you are stuck with their App Store, which it’s not Android(s)/Apple of course.

The basic model (499$) comes with… nothing… just the charger, mind that the USB connectoer for the computer is propriatory, so they are going the “Apple” way there (except in every iOS device you would find it an apple connector) it’s not cheap, like every Xbox accessories.

The option to boot into USB drive is available, but it has SecureRom bios so it’s useless (I guess it’s for the Windows 8 Surfacess, not RT).
If you want it in a company (I understand that you need Office, Lync, etc.. but there isn’t an SSL client yet (I think), and you cannot join the domain b/c it’s not Pro (which I think will come out with Win8 Surfaces instead!?).

There isn’t an SSH client either, so you are forced with using RDP… over the internet!? Great safety!

When you insert an USB stick, a “Home user” only has the chance to import media from it, not export it (you have to go into the ususal Desktop/Windows Explorer and do Copy/PAste for that), things that regular users might mind… and let’s not forget Windows RT takes 15GB of your 32GB device…. so it’s not really a “32GB model” isn’t it!?!?

I have an XBox so I can test that too, SmartGlass works OK over the Wifi and there’s an app for iOS and Android already… that’s about the only thing that integrates with your Xbox.

I also have UPNP at home, thing that this device doesn’t do is play the movies over it… I had to use \\SAMBA_SHARES to do so…..

It’s NOT a “Home” device, and MS makes the mistake to believe that, so that you have to use SkyDrive, Live, Hotmail, Sharepoint, etc… over their cloud, which has nothing wrong by all mean, but it’s a Developer device, it should have been cheaper for them and not public for everyone, it’s going to get sold quickly I my opinion if Home Users are not going to find the Facebook app without using IE10.

Oh a quick note on which I was surprised, is that IE10 comes with Flash builtin on here, so there’s Flash player for Windows RT (kind of Chrome).

I have received the device on Friday and I gave it away on Thursday, 6 days was plenty of time for me. Oh, I forget, just to install Telnet you have to buy it... 2.50$ AH what a joke!?!? If I win it, I'll sell it again ;)

The review doesn't seem exactly encouraging, but I'm still curious about the tablet and would like to get my hands on it. There's always hope for some useful software updates. Besides, as a student I'd really like something lightweight to carry around for taking notes.

I have to say, there are some great features to this tablet. Some of my favorite features are the IPS screen, the snap on charging, which demonstrated above is easy and you don't have to fumble around if you are trying to leave in a hurry, just unsnap n go. The Xbox Smart-Glass Function is also very cool, as with all windows 8 devices, android, and even IOS has it, but to be able to do it from the Surface would definitely be my favorite way to do it. The keyboard, ugh, Microsoft and its touch sensitive hardware, I have had a few touch sensitive products by Microsoft, the latest being the Microsoft Arc Touch Wireless Mouse, it seems to have gotten better, but when it comes to keyboards, I have had nothing but headaches with them. I can't speculate as to how this compares to other tablets, as I do not own another tablet, If I were going to buy my first tablet, this would definitely come in as a first despite a couple minor drawbacks. As for the contest, Of course I hope I win, but good-luck to everyone and Congrats to the winner :)

Hehe, it's actually just regular white wine with blue food colouring that I'm making for our delayed Xmas/Halloween party later this year ;) The other two are from our own grapes that won't be used at the party as they'll need a lot longer to mature.

I bought an Exo PC about a year ago from the Microsoft store. It runs on Windows 7, and I can install any Windows software I run on my desktop. It also has USB ports for installation that can't be done online. I have been very satisfied with it.

This is very much a tablet device; if you've not liked Apple or Android offerings, there is nothing here that will satisfy, don't be fooled by the addition of a keyboard . Wait for the Pro version so you can have actual windows too; the hardware is solid, but with Metro only it's just too limited.

Yes, because I get satisfaction from people not wasting their money on an expensive buggy device with no real value to it. Really, this is how I get enjoyment in life - Apple gave me a little Pez dispenser on my desk which doles out sweets whenever someone doesn't buy a Microsoft product. Timie, I don't care if you buy this or not, truthfully. This was an unbiassed review, and I was looking forward to trying Windows 8 on a tablet (since I run it on my desktop). It doesn't live up to hype on the software side - that much is obvious. There is still potential in a pro version since the hardware itself is lovely.

Sounds like you've already made up your mind, and you're upset this review doesn't agree; this is a typical reaction when you're seeking confirmation bias, so I understand.

Review doesn't account for the latest patches, which have already been released and fixed most of the buggy behavior.

App market still has a long way to go but it's got all the basics. While experienced users can usually get past most of the limitations with work around solutions.

Like you can use Junctioning to have directories on a microSD card be recognized like they were on the main drive and automatically have media handled by the OS, which it normally doesn't do for removable drives at the moment and there are tricks to have a microSD card show up as a non-removable drive as well.

So for the most part it's not a bad start and it's likely to get better as they further develop the apps and ecosystem.

Too bad. I was curious, but perhaps the critics are right. Surface aren't ready for prime time. They should just delay the launch and get things working before resorting to another batch of desperate commercials.

Luv Windows 8 !
It has amazing features and comes with some new feature from Windows 7 , such as it has a new Windows Task manager , it gives Microsoft Security Essentials and etc ....
I read the reviews of Windows 8 .......
I hope I win !

James has a BSc in Artificial Intelligence, and is CompTIA A+ and Network+ certified. He's the lead developer of MakeUseOf, and spends his free time playing VR paintball and boardgames. He's been building PCs since he was a kid.